3628. M32 Spot (112)

Simply stunning! This is a magnificent piece of graffiti writing from Dott Rotten, notable as much for its fabulous and striking colours as it is for the fabulous design and technical excellence.

Dott Rotten, M32 Spot, Bristol, April 2021
Dott Rotten, M32 Spot, Bristol, April 2021

I had a great chat with Dott Rotten last week, not far from here, and he told me that it hasn’t always been easy and that at one point he had considered giving up on graffiti writing altogether. Thank goodness he thought better of it as he is turning out some of the best work in Bristol at the moment. This is an instant classic in my eyes and yet another fine piece of work on this subterranean wall.

3627. Brunel Way (96)

Because of its association with graffiti and street art, Bristol is a bit of a magnet for visiting artists and what fortune that Kane Rose paid a visit while painting alongside the No Frills crew a few weeks back. I don’t know the artist, but know that he is a tattoo artists who also paints walls, like so many of our own Bristol artists.

Kane Rose, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021
Kane Rose, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021

When I first saw this I wondered whether it might have been by SkyHigh, because there is a definite similarity of styles. I have to confess that I had to wait until I saw the piece appear on Instagram before I could be sure of the artist. The block letters, each with a different colour and style, on first inspection appears to spell USA, but I have a feeling it actually says UPSTART. A lovely piece.

3626. M32 roundabout J3 (309)

Ware or MickeyRaw is not an artist that I see too often on our walls, but he is part of the RAW crew and joins the team for paint jams every once in a while. His work is consistently of a really high standard, and it is a pity he doesn’t get out more often.

Ware, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021
Ware, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021

This piece, spelling out WARE is absolutely stunning. The central green letters with fabulous fill patterning are further embellished with red blue and orange arrow decorations. The whole thing is very intricate and tight and clearly the work of a very talented graffiti writer.

3625. M32 Cycle path (120)

Footloose, Lewse or Esooltoof (Footloose – geddit?) to use her Instagram handle, is so utterly underrepresented on Natural Adventures, something I must remedy at the earliest opportunity. I have a whole ton of her work in my archives from months and years gone by, but just haven’t posted anything until now.

Footloose, M32 cycle path, Bristol, April 2021
Footloose, M32 cycle path, Bristol, April 2021

This is a lovely example of her style, which is usually a uniform set of letters spelling LEWSE with an associated character, often drawn from popular cartoons. The lettering is painted in the colours of a Fruit Salad chew (sweets that you could buy 8 of for a penny when I was a boy), with really nice transitions between the yellows and pinks.

Footloose, M32 cycle path, Bristol, April 2021
Footloose, M32 cycle path, Bristol, April 2021

The character, Disney’s goofy, is expertly painted and clearly demonstrates Footloose’s talents as an artist. Let’s view this post as a beginning and not an end, where I can showcase more of her work past and future.

3621. M32 roundabout J3 (308)

Phour is one of those artists who regularly burns his letters onto any surfaces that he fancies. Some of his pieces are quick and dirty throw-ups and some, like this one, are more polished and accomplished.

Phour, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021
Phour, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021

Spray painting over existing graffiti without buffing the wall first means that your piece needs something special to stand out from the crowd. Phour has achieved this with flying colours (literally) in this absolute belter.

 

3620. Cumberland Basin

Since I took this photograph, which really isn’t too long ago, this wall had been painted over at least twice and it is fast becoming one of the highest turnover walls in Bristol. I’ll be heading down that way today to see what’s new.

Subtle, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021
Subtle, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021

This is another in a very strong series of pieces from Subtle. At last he seems to have exhausted his supply of pink paints and instead gives us this stunning beast in red. The writing is really sharp and greatly enhanced with the yellow highlights and black spots. This is a very bold and striking piece that demonstrates clearly the great skills of Subtle.

3613. M32 Cycle path (119)

I don’t know if I am imagining things, but since this whole pandemic malarkey began it seems like there have been more collaborative walls than one would normally expect, and I wonder if it is a way for artists to legitimately socialise, whilst keeping a distance, with people they care about. Maybe it is just a perception, but I feel there has been a collaborative explosion.

Benjimagnetic, M32 cycle path, Bristol, April 2021
Benjimagnetic, M32 cycle path, Bristol, April 2021

This wonderful piece from the magnificent Benjimagnetic was painted alongside Hemper, Turoe and Veks and demonstrates a slight change of direction he has been on lately in which he has moved away from his busy and frenetic style, but managed to retain the abstract nature of his letters. This piece most likely spells out BEN, but it is nicely disguised. A very nice piece indeed with some fabulous colour transitions.

3612. M32 roundabout J3 (306)

Bnie has been painting quite a lot with her RBF crew recently and it is always great to see her nicely balanced letters and fills, and beautifully decorated 3D shadows that are a trademark feature of her work.

Bnie, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021
Bnie, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021

I don’t know if this wall was painted for a special occasion or whether it was part of a general paint jam, but there was a great turnout of artists and some fine work laid down. For me, this one from Bnie might just have been the pick of the bunch, it feels like her work is improving each time I see something new from her. The time for a gallery must be fast-approaching. I am really enjoying the incorporation of a mouth in the ‘B’.

3611. M32 Cycle path (118)

Hemper is painting like a fiend at the moment. Hardly a day goes by without another new piece from him, and each one is a special gem. His range is exceptional and that he does it all off-the-cuff makes it all the more impressive.

Hemper, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021
Hemper, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021

This recent piece of graffiti writing is in a beautifully curvy script with plenty of highlights and accents to create a nicely rounded 3D feel to the letters. The green fills are in several shades with a whole bunch of different patterns to enjoy. This is an artist who appears to be thoroughly enjoying his craft at the moment. Plenty more to come.

3608. M32 roundabout J3 (304)

The sleeping giant has definitely woken, and Subtle has been out and about creating some superb pieces across Bristol. I think he has a stock of pink paint that he wanted to use up, because a lot of his recent stuff has majored on pink.

Subtle, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021
Subtle, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021

Subtle uses a technique that involves quite a lot of roller-brush work. Most of the solid fills and the background are all roller work, with the outlines and details added on with spray paint. This is for both ease and economy. Emulsion is so much cheaper than spray paint. The result of his labours is this wonderful SUBTLE in pinks and reds on a green background with blue decorations. Eye-catching and fun.